Microsoft's top lawyer at open-source confab

This should be interesting: Microsoft's general counsel, Brad Smith, is speaking -- and taking questions -- Tuesday afternoon at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco.

Smith is expected to discuss topics including the similarities between the open-source and proprietary software models. He'll then be quizzed by a panel consisting of experts including Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu Linux project; and lawyer Andrew Updegrove, author of the Standards Blog. Then the floor will be opened to audience questions.

At the encouragement of open-source expert and software business consultant Stephen Walli, a former Microsoftie who worked on open-source initiatives inside the company, people are nominating and voting on potential questions to ask Smith during his appearance.